Friday, March 09, 2012

If Michael Brodkorb's lawyers are faithful to their promise, they'll be filing suit for his wrongful termination by the Minnesota Senate -- acting in the person of Cal Ludeman, Secretary of the Senate -- any time now.

There has been a lot of ink spilled over the strength and weaknesses of Brodkorb's case, and his lawyers' posturing about it, but darn little said about the "inside baseball" part of the suit: who gets to manage it and make the decision to settle -- and for how much -- or hazard a trial. There isn't any question about where the money to settle or pay a judgment comes from, however; the Senate itself is on the hook. (Update: That's true notwithstanding the fact that the situation is entirely of the Republican Caucus' making: it hired Brodkorb; it promoted him to "executive assistant" to Amy Koch; it fired him after painting the Scarlet Letter on Koch.)

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But you will never guess who, after having a starring role in getting the Senate into trouble in this in the first place, gets to decide. Why, it's Big Cal himself! That's according to Thomas Bottern, Esq., counsel to the Senate Rules Committee and Cal's consigliere.

When asked who had the authority, Bottern replied: Cal; it's in the Rules. "Numerous provisions" in fact, according to Bottern.

When pressed multiple times over a span of days: does than mean Cal could decide for himself to settle the case for half a million dollars or pay an unlimited amount in attorneys' fees to defend the case? there has been no reply from Bottern.

Update 3/14:

Cal sez: you got no stinkin' claim Michael. Millions for defense; not a penny for tribute.